05/08/2026
Public Library
BKA-DPA first project after our recent name change. Formerly Kadiplanna.
A GATHERING PLACE FOR KNOWLEDGE
This project imagines the public library as more than a place where books are stored. It becomes a gathering place for knowledge—a civic environment where culture, history and technology coexist seamlessly.
In a fast-paced world shaped by rapid technological advancement, we envisioned a space where visitors could explore the deep history and cultural identity of the Emirate of Sharjah while simultaneously embarking on a mesmerizing journey into its future.
The programme combines traditional reading spaces, historical archives, collaborative learning areas and cultural exhibition galleries with immersive technology halls, digital research spaces and audio-reading rooms. Within the audio rooms, visitors can select a book and have it narrated to them through personal headsets—introducing a more accessible and experiential way of engaging with literature.
The double-height entrance hall forms the heart of the building, bringing together the reception, waiting lounges, exhibition spaces, escalators and upper reading galleries. Outside, the illuminated parametric façade expresses an interconnected network of ideas, while the suspended coloured tubes at the entrance represent the diversity of voices, stories and cultures entering the library.
This is a library that remembers the past, engages with the present and imagines the future—a place where every visitor becomes part of an evolving journey of discovery.
Originally conceived for Sharjah, this project also inspires a wider question: how can ambitious civic architecture of this scale be thoughtfully adapted and realised within the growing cities of Africa? As architects and master planners operating in Middle East & Africa, we feel this profound responsibility after every project.
ImmersiveTechnology ParametricDesign AfricanArchitecture FutureAfricanCities ArchitectureVisualization
